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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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Bible Rhymes, 



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CHILDREN 




ILLUSTRATED. 



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Sarah Elliott, 

AUTHOU J±1<TJD PROPRIETOR. 



WILLIAMSPORT, FA. 
1888. 






°3^ DC 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886, by 

SARAH ELLIOTT, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



PREFACE. 



|PJ|iHE author of this little volume, during a proti 
WfcM illness which unfitted her for her usual hous< 



tracted 
illness which unfitted her for her usual household 
fffif duties, devoted much of her time to instructing 

e '|k an invalid child in the knowledge of the Bible; 

^r which instruction, both in character and manner, 
she also committed to writing; — not however with the 
view of ever having it published, but merely as a pleas- 
ant and profitable means of whiling away the time. 
But afterwards, — perhaps while reflecting on the deep 
interest she had awakened in the bosom of her own 
child in the great and gracious truths of the Word of 
God, — in obedience to the promptings of a love for souls, 
a love that refused to be circumscribed by the narrow 
limits of her own household, she concluded to send it 
forth in its present form, believing that any effort, how- 
ever imperfect, to make the Holy Scriptures interesting 
to the young, God would be pleased to accompany and 
bless with his own Holy Spirit. 

The work in language is especially suited to the 
youthful mind; and in matter is well calculated to ar- 
rest thought, impart instruction, produce conviction, 
and lead to Christ; and our prayer is that it may accom- 
plish all this; — 

That the little messenger may forth to the world away 
And many little folks lead of the Book of books to say, 
Precious treasure by our Heavenly Father given, 
Brightly beams thy light to guide us home to heaven. 



J3 IBLE Rhymes. 



IN Genesis we read 
How God had there decreed 
To give this world a birth 
By creating Heaven and Earth. 
For day he made the light, 
The darkness he called night, 
The firmament, for the heavens bright; 
The earth, the land so dry; 

Waters he called the seas, 
And said, for the fishes they shall be ; 

Bnt the earth brought forth the trees, 
The herbs and grass w r e see, 
And cattle of every degree. 
Then in his own image he created man, 
And gave dominion over sea and land. 
Every fowl of the air, 
And every beast of the field was there, 
That Adam might for them a name proclaim. 
Then on the seventh day a rest. 
God saw that all was good — the Sabbath blessed. 
In this God has set us an example; beware 
How we order our work, and observe it with care. 
How nice this provision, how necessary for the body of 

man. 
God who is merciful, did this understand. 

Then we read of the beautiful Garden of Eden, 
And in it were shrubs and trees that were pleasant to see; 
And they bore fruit that was sweet and good to eat. 
In the midst was the tree of life, and of knowledge, too, 
Of good and evil, of which they were forbidden it's true; 



2 BIBLE PvHYMES. 

For if they did eat they should surely die. 

This command was given to Adam and wife — 

This wife whom God had made for a partner for life; 

A rib taken from Adam's side; 

A helpmate that should by him ever abide. 

In this beautiful garden bed a river of water parted into 

four heads, — 
Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates. 
Now, the subtle serpent of the field 
Coaxed mother Eve to yield, 
And with a sinful lie, 
Said, u Thou shalt not surely die." 

But Satan is the father of all lies. 
Flatly contradicting the assertion of God, 

To make Eve believe she is immortal he tries. 

This is the first precept God gave to man, 
And as a test of his obedience — 

To obey or resist, — as he will he can. 
The forbidding of this one thing had God not an abso- 
lute right to say? 
And was not Adam and Eve bound to obey ? 
But she tasted of the fruit, and saw that it was good. 

Then gave to Adam the same; 
But when God spoke she was ashamed, 

And on Satan put all the blame. 
Now, this yielding to Satan's call, 
Has caused man's shameful fall, alas! to all. 
And since man did disobey, 
He is dying, dying every day. 

Therefore God sent them out of the garden, and said, 
By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou earn thy bread; 
And lo! over all the land shall the thorn and the thistle 

grow, 
And thou shalt labor, and toil, and sow. 
Ere long Cain and Abel were born, — Abel a keeper of 

sheep, 
But Cain the ground did sow and reap. 

God wanted them to offer a sacrifice; 
But he who seeth the secret of the heart, 
Saw in Cain's offer that faith had no part. 
Jealous, he became angry and killed his brother; 
But the voice of Abel's blood cried from the ground to 
God. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 3 

Cain's punishment he thought was more than he could 

stand, — 
A fugitive and a vagabond all his days in the land. 

To alleviate Adam and Eve's affliction, another son was 
given. 

Seth would take their place, 
Who proved to be a child of grace. 

And now we will leave the descendants of mankind 

Until we come down to good old Enoch's time; 

Who, for his distinguished piety, was translated to the 

heavenly mansions, 
Without passing through that great valley which death 

sanctions. 
He was the father of Methuselah, the oldest man — 
Nine hundred and sixty-nine was his alloted span. 



NOW let us read: on account of the great depravity of 
the human race, 

God sent a flood to destroy all on the earth's face. 

But to Noah, a just man who walked with God, direc- 
tions he gave 

How him and all his family in an ark he would save. 

Then for forty days and nights the rain did fall. 

The gloomy aspect caused the whole world to appall; 

And not until every living thing had perished from off 
the land 

Did God cause the ark on Mt. Ararat to stand. 

When, lo! God showed them the beautiful rainbow, — 

A token of the covenant between God and us, you know. 

Now Noah was to start anew in the land, 

With his three sons, Shem, Japheth and Ham; 

But then, like now, they made a great mistake 

By extracting the juice from out the grape. 

Poor old Noah was not used to wine, 

And it caused him to sin for a time. 

As time rolled on, 

These aspiring mortals could not see why 

They should not build a Babylon high. 

But God defeated their ambitious freak 

By causing them in different tongues to speak. 



4 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Now we'll quit the genealogy of Noah's descendants to 

a time 
When a universal depravity displayed itself in all man- 
kind. 

In consequence of this, 
Terah, the father of Abraham, resolved to leave this 

wicked land, 
And with his family, to go into the Canaan land. 
But ere long we read of the Canaanites at war, 
And Lot, Abraham's nephew, a captive taken sure. 
Abraham to his rescue came with his armed servants, 

three hundred and eighteen. 
After the victory, Melchizedek, king of Salem, came, 
Blessed Abraham, and thanked God for the success given. 
God was Abraham's shield in war, and exceeding great 

reward. 
And now he has the promise of a son — not Ishmael, who 

from the bond- woman came — 
But Isaac, who afterwards, to try Abraham's faith, was 

to be offered as a sacrifice. 

But his faith taught him to say, 
4 f Yea, I will obey, 
Though my son I must slay. ' ' 
And when ready to kill him, with knife in hand, 
God was brief, and saved him with a quick command; 
And instead of his son, there appeared a ram. 



JT7HEN we read of the destruction of Sodom and Go- 
i morah on account of sin;. 
Not having ten righteous persons within, — 
Only Lot, his wife and daughters. 
But his poor wife would halt and look back ; 
Therefore she became a pillar of salt, or salt sack. 
When Abraham grew old and knew he was not long for 

this life, 
He felt anxious to have Isaac married to a good wife. 
He therefore sent Eliezer, his trusty servant, back to his 

native land, 
To choose for him some fair maiden's hand. 
Beseeching God to direct him aright, 
The beautiful Rebekah soon came in sight. 




s 



ABItAJOLAMS SACRIFICE. 

OZN. CS. TT77T V. 12. 

THE LORD'S GOM1AANDS SHOULD BEL OBEYED 
AND ALL HIS WILL ON EARTH BE LONE; 
s E'EN IF THE SACRIFICE BE MADE 

OF A BELOVED AND ONLY SON. 






BIBLE RHYMES. 5 

She and her family treated him polite; then soon after 

He told her he wished her to marry his young master. 

And the young lady was willing to obey, 

And so left her kindred without delay ; 

Perhaps God's kind angels whispered what she should 
say. 

And Isaac met her and took her to his departed mother's 
tent, 

And was married, was happy and content. 

To them was given the great joy 

Of being the parents of the first twin boys. 

Alas! they had their sorrow too, 

For as they to manhood grew, 

Esau, for a dish of savory meat, 

His birthright gave to Jacob so discreet, 

Who afterwards, to obtain the blessing, did cheat; — 

Made his poor old blind father believe Esau with veni- 
son was there, 

By his mother helping him to cover his hands with goat's 
hair. 

And now, for fear of Esau, he must leave his home; 

And while wandering in a certain place, the night came 
on. 

He lay down, solitary and alone, 

Using for a pillow a stone. 

While there he had that wonderful dream; 

The ladder upon which angels were ascending and de- 
scending was seen. 

And when he awoke he said, "How dreadful is this 
place. ' ' 

And to him it proved a place of grace. 

Then journeying, on he came to his uncle's home. 

Tired and weary, he will no longer roam. 

While stopping there, 

He learns to love his cousin Rachel fair, 

And for her he serves his uncle seven years; 

But when that time had come, 

He gave him Leah, an older one. 

And then he served another seven, 

Until Rachel, the one he loved, was given. 

And now it seemed he homesick grew, 

For he took his family, and his property too, 

Back to the country where his father still lived, 



6 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Who was now an hundred and four score years. 

God appeared to Jacob whilst on his way, 

And this is what to him he did say: 

44 Thy name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel." 

And then we read of his youngest son Benjamin being 

born; 
And his beloved Rachel dies and Israel mourns. 

Yes, Rachel dies and leaves her darling boys, Joseph 

and Benjamin. 
They are young to lose their mother. 
Perhaps for that reason, if for no other, 

Joseph was given the coat of many colors. 
Which caused among his older brothers so much envy 

and strife, 
And but for God's providence would have cost him his 

life. 
Whilst we read of him telling his wonderful dream, — 
How his sheaf stood up and theirs bowed to him. 
His ten older brothers hate him, it is plainly seen; 
And now, when they are tending their sheep in the pas- 
tures green, 
Their father sends Joseph to see how they fare. 
They make up their minds to murder him right there. 
But Reuben, one of the best, 
Not quite so sinful as the rest, 

Said, L,et us shed no blood, but throw him into a pit. 
It harmed him not, for there was no water in it. 
They took from him his spotted coat, 
And sprinkled it with the blood of a goat. 
And now they sit down to eat their meal, 
Thinking how from their father their sin they'd conceal. 
And behold! while sitting there, a band of Ishmaelites 

were passing by, equipped 
With spices and myrrh, for the land of Egypt. 
And they took him out and sold him to them for twenty 

pieces of silver. 
And those men sold him to Potipher, one of Pharaoh's 

officers; 
And the wicked brothers went home and said, This coat 

have we found. 
And Jacob said, It is my son's, by some wild beast he 

has been devoured and torn. 

" With furious hands, he spreads 



BIBLE RHYMES. 7 

The scorching ashes on his graceful head, 

His purple garments, and his golden hairs. 

Those he deforms with dust, and these with tears. " Pope. 

But the Lord is with Joseph; he prospers and is made 

overseer in his master's house, 
Until wicked ones lie about him, and accuse him of sin. 
Then he is taken and cast into prison; and now it seems 
That Joseph still has power to interpret dreams; 
And when Pharaoh, for some petty sin, has his butler 

and baker put into prison, 
One morn they were sad, it seems, 
For the night before they both had dreams. 
But there was no one to interpret and tell what they 

mean, until Joseph said, 
One was to be restored to his place, and the other to lose 

his head. 
He also said to the one that was to be restored, 
Remember me in kindness to Pharaoh, thy gracious 

Lord. 
But two whole years had passed, 
When the ungrateful man had reason to think of him at 

last; 
For Pharaoh now had dreams: the first was seven fat 

cows in a group, 
And seven thin ones came along and ate them up. 
Then seven good ears of corn 

Were eaten by seven lean ones, and made to mourn. 
But there was no one to tell him what his dreams meant, 
Until the butler told him of Joseph, who for him was 

sent. 
And Joseph said, the seven good meant years of plenty, 
But the seven bad ones meant years of scarcity. 
Then the king gave Joseph of money a great sum, 
To build barns and fill them, for a famine would come. 
Now, it was twenty years since he was sold a slave from 

his home, 
When his brothers from Asia were sent to buy corn. 
Alas for them ! his time has come, 

When they bow to him, as their sheaves in his dream 

had done. 
And now their sin will find them out, 
And to this day they are talked about. 
Joseph speaks roughly to them, and will keep the tenth 

one, 



8 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Until they with their younger brother, Benjamin, come. 
But Jacob, their father, refuses, being filled with fear, 
Until the famine grew too severe. 
When they came again to the place, they were treated 

good — 
With a dinner prepared of delicious food. 
Then their sacks were filled again, 
Full and plenty, with golden grain. 
But the silver cup was secretly placed in Benjamin's 

sack, 
And when they were searched, they were soon brought 

back. 
Joseph's time to reveal his secret now has come, 
And he freely forgave them for the sin they had done. 
And now they return to their father again. 
To him in humility they have to explain. 
Jacob, encouraged, went down into Egypt, 
And when he met Joseph, in tenderness on his neck 

he wept. 
Joseph introduced him to his royal master, Pharaoh, 

Who, in kindness, asked him his age; 
And in Genesis forty-seven and nine you may find what 

he says 
Of his and his father's pilgrimage. 
Then tranquil, happy and calm, 
He settles down and lives in the Egyptian land. 
And when he felt that death was nigh, he said, 
Tell Joseph; and Joseph hastened to his dying bed, 
And there received a blessing -on his head. 
And Joseph brought with him Ephraim and Manasseh, 

his two little boys. 
Crossing his hands upon their heads, they his blessing 

enjoy; 
But by crossing his hands, declaring the younger the 

greater boy. 
Now, all his sons assemble around his bed that day 
To hear what their dying father has to say; 
And with his expiring breath, 
The greatest is what he to Judah saith : 
That the sceptre should not from him depart, 
Nor a law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come. 
And now, in hope of this Saviour, Jacob is ready to say, 

" Thy will be done." 



BIBLE RHYMES. 9 

He gathered his feet into his bed, 

And by faith, on Jesus' bosom reclines his head. 

Like good old Simeon, he is ready to say from his heart, 

I have seen thy salvation, let thy servant in peace depart. 

After Joseph closed the eyes of his father and wept over 
him, 

He fulfilled his promise, and buried him 

In the cave of Machpelah, with his fathers, Isaac and 
Abraham. 

Joseph's brothers, now that their father is no more, 

A consultation held, a message sent their pardon to im- 
plore. 

When Joseph read their message, he sent and had them 
all brought near, 

And before he dismissed them, he removed their un- 
founded fear. 

Now, fifty-four years after his father's death, 

And after a life of faithfulness, death approaches, 

And with a promise that his remains shall be carried into 
the Canaan land, 

He, too, passes away, as did his fathers, to meet the heav- 
enly band. 



NOW, the children of Israel had increased 
Until there was a great number, and the land 
was filled with his descendants; 
And the new king who ruled over Egypt said: 
Behold! the children of Israel are more than we, 
And if there should be war, we would be whipped, I can 

plainly see. 
So he set over them task-masters, who afflicted them 

with burdens great, 
And made their lives bitter, all for this wicked king's 

sake. 
They served in bondage, and with rigor, too; 
But the more they were afflicted, the more they increased 

and grew; 
Until at last, by the king's command, they every baby- 
boy, 
Of the house of Levi, into the river throw. 
And now a lovely babe was born, 



IO BIBLE RHYMKS. 

And for three months by his mother hid, 

For fear she, too, for her babe would have to mourn. 
And when she no longer the babe could hide, 
She put him in the basket of bullrushes by the river's 

side. 
His little sister stood afar off to wait 
And see what might be her little brother's fate. 
Now Pharaoh's daughter, with her maidens, came to 

wash by the river side, 
And they soon, among the bushes, the little ark espied. 
And when they opened the basket, the child did weep, 
And the king's daughter had compassion, and said, him 

for my own will I keep. 
And Miriam, his sister, said, shall I find you a nurse? 
And she hastened and brought their own mother, of 

course. 
This to Moses' mother was a great privilege, again 
Her own little son to care for and train. 
And she impressed him with the burdens and wrongs of 

his people; 
And when he was grown, he killed an Egyptian, who 

was smiting a Hebrew. 
Soon after, he has reason to believe, his sin was known. 
Not feeling safe, he flees from his native home, 
And he dwelt in the land of Midian, 
For noiie knew there of his wrong. 
There he met and married his wife, Zipporah. 
Moses, like Isaac and Jacob, the Bible tells, 
Met their wives first at a well. 
Now the children of Israel were groaning, by reason of 

their bondage severe, 
And God remembered his covenant with them and heard 

their cry. 
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a 

burning bush, 
And said, I have seen the affliction of my people — have 

come to deliver them. 
Come, now, I will send thee unto Pharaoh, and without 

money 
Thou shalt bring them unto a land flowing with milk 

and honey. 

But Moses answered and said, 
Who am I that I should unto Pharaoh go? 



BIBLE RHYMES. II 

And who shall I say hath sent me to do so ? 

God answered, 
Tell them I AM, and that I have given this command ; 

And to prove it, 
The Lord a rod turned into a serpent in Moses' hand. 

This to Moses now was plain, 
That when he caught it by the tail 

It turned into a rod again. 
Then the Lord said, Put thy hand into thy bosom, 
And when he drew it put, it was white as snow; 
But when he was told to pull it out the second time, 

The flesh aright again did grow. 
But Moses now tells God that he is afraid he is not elo- 
quent enough. 
This displeased God, that Moses should question so 
much. 

And God said, 
Aaron, thy brother, a spokesman, then, shall be, 
To tell what Moses from God did hear and see. 

And now we read how 
God sent them before Pharaoh with this command, 
Let the Israelites go into the promised land. 

But Pharaoh's heart was hard, 
And with these poor slaves he lived content, 
Until ten great plagues unto him God sent. 
The first was where Aaron with his rod smote the river 

Nile, 
And the water all turned into blood for a while. 
Then again he stretched forth his rod, 
And behold the land was covered with the frog. 
Then the king promised Moses to let him go with his 

Israelite band, 
If he would pray God to take this frog nuisance from 

the land. 
But his heart grew hard again, and he said, no. 
He broke his promise, and would not let the Hebrews go. 
And then God turned the dust into lice, 
And a bite from those many insects wasn't very nice. 
Then the next was a great swarm of flies; 
But they, too, were removed by another of Pharaoh's 

lies. 
Now, when Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he refused 
again, 



12 BIBLE RHYMES. 

The plague was a disease that killed all their cattle on 

the plains. 
Then next, frightful boils on their bodies they could see, 
Something that looked like the black leprosy. 
Then a terrible hail storm, and fire-balls, which ran 

along the ground, 
Killing all the trees and animals, except the Hebrew's; 

they were safe and sound. 
Then wicked Pharaoh was frightened, and said they 

should go; 
But when the hail stopped, he again told them no. 
And now the locust was sent — if you read you will see — 
Which destroyed every blade of grass and every green 

tree. 
Then the plague of darkness — yes, darkness everyhere; 
No sun, moon nor star was to be seen there. 
And in that terrible plight, just about midnight, 
The death angel in every family the first born did smite, 
And in a moment's time there was terror in all the land. 
Pharaoh himself was in agony by the bed of his oldest 

child in death's hand. 
But the Hebrews, whose door-posts were sprinkled with 

the blood of a lamb, 
Escaped all these plagues by obeying God's command. 
Then Pharaoh yielded, and told Moses to leave with his 

Hebrew band, — 
To make haste, and get away from the Egyptian land. 
And now the forty years' journey of the Hebrews began, 
With two and a half million of souls, for the Canaan 

land. 
God placed a pillar of cloud for them to follow by day, 
And a pillar of fire by night, to lead them on their way. 
But in less than three days' march, hear what Pharaoh 

has to say: 
He was sorry he allowed those good workmen to get 

away; 
So with his chariots and horsemen he would pursue and 

drive them back without delay. 
Now, in front of the poor Israelites was the red sea, 
But now, in their great trouble, they went to God on 

bended knee. 
Then the wind blew fiercely, pressed back the waters of 

the sea, 



BIBLE RHYMES. 13 

And the Hebrew host walked on dry land and crossed 

over easily. 
Now, Pharaoh and his army thought they could do the 

same, 
When the waters rushed upon them, and every one was 

slain. 
And in the morning the Israelites saw their dead bodies 

washed along the shore. 
Perhaps some would think they would never doubt God's 

goodness any more. 
But when they had eaten up all their food, 
They were hungry, and said, 

To have stayed with Pharaoh would have been good. 
But Moses, who on God cast all his care, 
Found in the morning a substitute was there. 
Something white like snow was on the ground, 
And when the hungry children tasted, it was good they 

found. 
So they were satisfied for dinner — 

Yes, and for supper, too; 
And the rest melted away. 

What they should have to-morrow God knew. 
For Moses told them not keep it over night; 
Except on the sixth day, which they should with the 

seventh unite. 
And for forty long years those Israelites lived on the food, 
Which they called manna, and always found it good. 
And now we read of the first battle the Israelites had to 

fight. 

It was with a people called the Amalekites. 
Now Moses held up his hands, and Israel prevailed; 
And with Aaron and Hur's help Joshua with the sword 
them assailed. 



NOW let us read where God called Moses to top of 
Mount Sinai, 
And there made known the ten commandments for Israel; 
yes, and for you and me. 
God spoke through Moses to this people, and said, see, 
I have brought you out of the land of Egypt, 



14 BIBLE RHYMES. 

And from the house of bondage made you free. 
The first command is, u Thou shalt have no other Gods 

before me." 
This, dear children, was intended for the whole world, 

you see. 
The second is, we are not to make a graven image or 

likeness of anything 
That is in heaven or on earth, neither in the waters, for 

to bow to them is a great sin. 
The third is, ( ' Thou shalt not take the name of God in 

vain." 
For God will not hold us guiltless; — this to us the Bible 

has made plain. 
The fourth is, c 'Remember the Sabbath day. ' ' 
That means, we shall neither work nor play; 
For in six days God created all, and rested on the Sab- 
bath day. 
Now, we that love him, must this command obey, 
And all within our household and gates their works must 

stay. 
Now, the fifth is, u Honor thy father and thy mother, 
That thy days may be long," and then 
We may live the alloted time — three score years and ten. 

The sixth command is, u Thou shalt not kill." 
A solemn truth to know that 

There are wicked ones who have and will. 
And can it be, when they know that the wages of sin is 

death, for that is plain; 
For their works do follow them, as they did the first 

murderer Cain. 
The next command is the seventh: u Thou shalt not 

commit adultery; 
And by God's grace, we from that sin may all be free. 
And then the eighth, " Thou shalt not steal;" 
But to this temptation how many yield. 

We have the promise of bread and water for our food, 
And the lilies are clothed, 

And so shall we be, if we trust in God and be good. 
The ninth is, not to bear false witness, 
For that is a lie, it is clearly seen, 

And if it were not wicked, it would be low and mean. 
A falsehood cost Ananias his life — 
Not only his, but that of his poor wicked wife. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 15 

The truth is, what is thy neighbor's thou shalt not covet, 
But in whatsoever state we are therewith to be content, 

and live above it, 
And this is God's great command, 
To believe on the name of His Son, for if we believe 

not we shall be damned, 
For he that despised Moses' law died without mercy, 
How much sorer punishment, he who hath trodden un- 
der foot His Son, you see. 
Now Moses was forty days in the mount with God alone; 
It was there he received the ten commandments written 

on stone; 
And whilst he was absent the Hebrews persuaded Aaron 

to make the golden calf, 
And around this idol they prayed, sang, danced and 

laughed; 
But God was angry, and sent Moses back, and then 
The calf was burnt, and of those idolaters there were 

slain three thousand men. 
After this they built a tabernacle or movable tent, 
A church into which when they wanted to worship they 

went. 
And when their journey was nearly o'er, the road was 

rough, and they complain, 
And God was angry and had to punish them again, 
By sending thousands of snakes, whose bite would have 

killed every soul; 
But God told Moses to make a serpent, and put it on a 

pole, 
And, a look at this serpent would cure and make them 

whole, 
And how anxiously they looked, in the bible we are told. 
Now, as Moses lifted up the serpent of brass on a pole, 
So was the Son of Man lifted on the cross, and a look 

will save your and my soul. 



l6 BIBLE RHYMES. 

NOW Balaam, a prophet, by a king was sent to come 
and curse the Israelites. 
Starting on an ass, an angel will not let them pass; the 

beast talks, and Balaam's in a plight. 
Now, Moses before he dies, writes a song setting forth 

the mercies of our God, 
Telling them to command their children to observe all 

the words of the law. 
And the L,ord spake unto Moses that selfsame day and 

said, 
Get thee up unto Mt. Nebo, and behold the lovely Ca- 

nanan bed. 
Moses was only allowed to look into the fair Canaan land, 
On account of getting angry and striking the rock with 

the rod in his hand. 
God had told him only to speak or command, 
And the water would have come to the thirsty land. 

But all have sinned, and will, who enter Paradise, — 
In thought, word and deed, we sin, — 

Moses by passion, Job by impatience, and Peter by 

cowardice. 
God alone can record the number of our sins. 
Moses was upright and sincere, 
Having all the Christian graces in some measure whilst 

here ; 
And on top of Pisgah he died, and was buried there; 
But to this day no one of his sepulchre knoweth where. 
Now, to prevent any dispute, after Moses would be taken 

away from their sight, 
Moses laid his hands upon Joshua in the presence of the 

people, to be a leader of the Israelites. 
The first command God gave to Joshua was, to lead them 

over the river Jordan. 
Joshua sends two spies to take a view of the strength 

and situation of Jericho. 
Meantime the king hears of them being concealed in 

the house of one whose name is Rahab, 
And for this kind act she afterwards rejoiced and was 

glad. 
For whatsoever we sow, that shall we reap, and Rahab 

for her kindness to the spies, 
Lives, and her household, whilst all others in Jericho 

die. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 17 

Now the Israelites were smitten at Ai, and Joshua rent 
his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face, 

But the Lord said, get thee up, Israel hath sinned and 
stolen some accursed thing from this place. 

Then Achan answered and said, I coveted and stole of 
their silver and gold, 

So he was stoned to death and burnt, both he and all 
that he owned, we are told, 

And the Lord said unto Joshua, fear not, neither be thou 
dismayed, 

And all that fell that day were twelve thousand, even all 
the men of the city of Ai. 

Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord, and wrote 
upon the stones a copy of the law, as Moses had done, 

And, as Joshua those laws obeyed, divers kings and 
countries by him were overcome. 

Then, after many years, when Joshua felt that he was 
growing old, 

He to the Israelites spoke, and God's benefits, even from 
Abraham to them, he told, 

And exhorted them to obey God in sincerity and truth. 

As for himself and his household, they would serve and 
obey both. 

Not long after this he dies, being an hundred and ten, 

And was buried in the beautiful mount Ephraim. 

Now Ehud, who subdued the Moabites, appears, 

And after subduing them, the Israelites have rest four- 
score years. 

Then the children of Israel again did evil in God's sight, 

Deborah, a prophetess, by the aid of the Lord helped 
them out of this plight, 

And then Deborah sings a song of praise, 

And the land has rest another forty years. 

After Deborah's day, we read of Gideon's reign, his chil- 
dren and his death, 

And then of Jotham's parable, and what he of the trees 
saith, 

Then the Sheckemites, and the Amalekites, the Israel- 
ites again oppressed, 

For now again they had forsaken God, and felt that by 
Him they were no longer blessed. 

And now the Israelites choose Jephthah for their captain 
to fight the Amorites. 



l8 BIBLE RHYMES. 

This Jephthah vowed a vow, that if he gained the vic- 
tory, 

He would sacrifice of his house the first that came in 
sight. 

Behold when he comes nigh his home, his beautiful 
daughter, an only child, 

Comes out to meet him, with timbrels and dances in joy 
so wild; 

Alas, what he has vowed to the L,ord that he now must 
do, 

And after two months his beautiful daughter he sacri- 
ficed. 

Then we read of the Ephraimites that were slain, 

Then of Manoah, and from him Samson came, 

Samson so strong that he slew a lion as easy as if it had 
been something tame. 

After a time he returned, and seeing the lion's carcass, 
his riddle he tells, 

And had it not been for his bad wife, they could not 
have guessed, and all would have been well. 

The riddle was — Out of the eater came forth meat, 

And out of the strong came forth sweet. 

And the Philistines said, what is sweeter than honey, 

And what is stronger than a lion, and now he knows 
that his wife was a cheat. 
Samson is angry now, and by his next action he shows 
it plain, 

For he caught three hundred foxes, and to them he tied 
fire brands, 
Then let them into their fields of grain. 

Then they caught him and bound him with great strong 
bands. 

But the Lord came mightily upon him, and he broke 
them loose from off his hands. 

It was then, with the jaw-bone of an ass, that he slew a 
thousand men. 

But now he does another very foolish thing: 

He again tells a woman that his strength is in his hair. 

And now those wicked people take him and put out his 
eyes. 

Howbeit, his hair again did grow, and God, who is mer- 
ciful, heard his cries. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 19 

And when the Philistines were merry, they called for 

Samson, for they wanted some sport. 
But Samson called for strength and vengeance, and he 

was answered by the Lord; 
And he said to a lad, lead me by the hand; 
Suffer me to feel the pillars upon which this house stands. 
And he bowed himself with all his might, and took hold 

of the pillars on either side, 
And with all this people he was crushed, and with them 

he died. 
And after Samson we read of the desolation of the Ben- 

jamites, and their destruction, too, 
For the Israelites had great battles with them until they 

were subdued. 



AND now we come to the beautiful book of Ruth 
And all who are acquainted with the Bible have read 

this sweet story from their youth ; 
How there was a famine in Bethlehem of Judea. 
And now Elimelech, with his wife Naomi and two sons, 

went to the country of Moab. 
The sons marry Orpha and Ruth, but the father and sons 

die, and Naomi no longer will make this her abode. 
Now, when she is ready to depart, she kisses her daugh- 
ters-in-law, and bade them go to their mother's 

home. 
Orpha obeyed, but Ruth said, entreat me not to leave 

thee, for where thou goest, there am I willing with 

thee to roam. 
And when their journey is over, and they are back to 

Naomi's native home and kinsman, 
They welcome her with an idle curiosity, seeing her 

daughter-in-law is a lovely woman. 
But their welcoming is without much love, charity or 

liberality. 
Ruth, who has forsaken all for Naomi and Naomi's God, 

is not frightened at poverty; 
And as the custom of that country allowed the poor what 

corn they might find after the reaper, 
This was comforting to Ruth, and she arose, 



20 BIBLE RHYMES. 

And the Gracious Being who guides our steps, directed 

Ruth to the field of Boaz. 
The first words that greet her ears is a devout prayer, 

" May the Lord be with thee." 
Thus was the fidelity of Ruth rewarded, for she became 

the wife of this wealthy man. 
To her was given the honor of being to David a great 

grandmother. 
And from David came the Redeemer, the Saviour of 

mankind, and greater than He there is no other. 



AFTER the book of Ruth, we read of Samuel, 
Who was given to Hannah, his mother, in answer 
to prayer, 
And Elkanah, his father, with his family, went up out 

of the city yearly 
To sacrifice unto the Lord, and the priests were there. 
Therefore, when Samuel was old enough, they took him 

up, and on account of the answer to his mother's 

prayer 
They gave him to the Lord. 
And the child ministered unto the Lord before Eli the 

priest. 
But Eli's sons did not love nor serve their father's God. 
Now Eli heard of his son's sins, and reproved them 

gently, but they heeded him not; he ought to have 

been more severe, 
To train up a child in the way he should go, 
And when he is old he will not depart from it, — the Bible 

makes this verse clear. 
Now the child Samuel grew, and was in favor with both 

God and man, 
And every year when his mother came up to sacrifice, 

she brought him a little coat, made by her own 

hands, 
And it came to pass after a time that Eli had lain down, 

for he was now old and almost blind. 
Samuel too had lain down to sleep, but he hears some 

one call in a short time; 
Of course he thought Eli had spoken to him, and ran 

in to see what he had said, 




Tainted Vr.TSieade- JELA. 



Engrave 1 WE . & a]la.mle t 



BIBLE RHYMES. 21 

But the aged man told him he had not called him, and 

that he should go back to bed; 
But when it was repeated the second, yes the third time, 

Eli told him then to say, Speak, Lord, for thy ser- 
vant heareth, 
Then was revealed to Samuel, the destruction of Eli's 

sons, in a vision to him it all appeareth ; 
And Eli called Samuel, and wanted to know all, 
And said, it is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good. 
Samuel felt sorry, but explained it all, 
How his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained 

them not, and Eli understood. 
Now the Philistines and Israelites have war again, 
And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas are both slain, 
And when a messenger came, and told Eli of their death, 

and that the ark was taken, he fell backwards and 

died. 
After this there was deadly destruction among the Phil- 
istines, and the hand of God was heavy upon them; 
And after having the ark seven months, they called the 

priests and were ready to return it to them. 
Now Samuel spoke to the house of Israel, beseeching 

them to serve the Lord in peace; 
And the Israelites, now that they had discomfited the 

Philistines, wanted Samuel to cry unto the Lord, 

and not cease. 
Then Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, 
And when he was old, he wanted his sons made judges 

over them; but then again there was strife; 
And they answered him, Thy sons walk not in thy ways, 

now make us a king. 
And Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord said, 

Give them a king, 
But they have rejected me by doing this thing. 
Now there was a handsome young man whose name was 

Saul, and he was a son of a Benjamite, 
And Saul's father's asses were lost, and he sent Saul and 

a servant to seek them, for they had wandered out 

of sight. 
And they passed through Ephraim, Shalisha, Shalim, 

and came to the land of Zuph; 
Then Saul said to the servant, we will return, or father 

will take thought of us, — we have hunted enough. 



22 BIBLE RHYMES. 

But the servant answered, in this city there is an hon- 
orable man of God, peradventure he can show us 

which way to steer; 
And Saul said, behold we have no present to give, but 

the servant answered, I have a fourth part of a 

sheckel; come, we will go to the seer. 
And as they went up into the city they inquired of some 

young maidens at a well. 
Get you up, for about this time ye shall find him, for he 

doth bless the sacrifice; this is what to them the 

young maidens tell. 
Now, the Lord had told Samuel that " to-morrow about 

this time I will send thee a man;" 
And when Samuel saw Saul he said, u Go up into the 

high place," for Samuel the Lord did understand. 
So Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his 

head; and now Saul is their anointed king. 
And the people sang, long live the king! 
But Saul's reign was a wicked one, and before it was 

over they ceased to sing; 
And the Lord rejected Saul for his disobedience, 
And Samuel mourns; but the Lord said, fill thine horn 

with oil and go to Jesse, the Bethlehemite. 
And he went and called Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice. 
Then seven of his sons passed by; but Samuel said, the 

right one is not in sight. 
And samuel said, are these all thy children ? 
But Jesse answered, there is one younger, a shepherd boy. 
And Jesse sent and brought in his ruddy, goodly and 

beautiful boy, 
Who had perhaps, in his hands, a harp, his only toy. 
And Samuel arose and anointed him; and as Saul, after 

he had been anointed, returned to his field, 
So David returned to his flock. 

And as the path to the throne was to be opened by cir- 
cumstances which did not yet appear, 
He was still to attend to his father's stock. 
Perhaps it was then he wrote — "When I consider thy 

heavens, the work of thy hands; 
The moon and stars which thou hast ordained; 
What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? 
And the son of man, that thou visitest him ?" 
And then he proclaimed: " For thou hast made him a 

little lower than the angels, 



BIBLE RHYMES. 23 

And hast crowned him with glory and honor." 

Now Saul's fall came, for he did not deserve to stand so 

high, 
And the people wondered who should succeed him upon 

the throne. 
Now, from that time the spirit of the Lord rested upon 
David, but from Saul it had departed. 
Then he was melancholy, and wanted a song, 
And his friends told him of David's skill; 

So he was sent for, and he came and stood before Saul. 
And Saul loved him, and he became his armor-bearer, 
And David took his harp and played with his hands. 
It refreshed Saul, and he was better of his gloomy 
terror. 
Now the Israelites and Philistines are preparing for 
battle, 
And there went out a champion from the Philistines, 
a giant, Goliath, who stood eight feet high, 
And David was sent by his father to inquire of his 
brothers' welfare. 
For they are in Saul's army, and Jesse loves as only 
those do who are bound together by a family tie. 
Now, for forty days had this monster challenged Saul's 
army. 
And in this way stood affairs when David arrived at 
the camp; 
And the heroic youth was curious, and wanted it all re- 
lated to him; 
But his eldest brother reproved him severely; — now, 
this was cruel after his long tramp. 
But David replied in a respectful tone, what have I done? 
is there not a cause? 
I am willing to encounter Goliath, and his words were 
told to Saul; 
And Saul sent for him, but when David appeared he re- 
jected him, saying, 
You are but a youth, and Saul's countenance again 
did fall. 
But David, guided by the power of Omnipotence 

To remove the objection of Saul, related how he had 
rescued a lamb from a lion and bear. 
David said, moreover, that the Lord, who had delivered 
him from those wild animals, 



24 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Would be with him in the battle there. 
The faith of David astonished Saul, and he said, put the 

royal armor upon him, 
And let him go. But David put it off; he only wanted 

a stone and a sling. 
So with a few pebbles from a brook, in his shepherd's bag, 
He went forth to meet Goliath, perhaps with no more 

fear than when for Saul he played. 
But when Goliath saw only a shepherd boy, he said: 
"Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves ?" 
Now he is in a terrible rage; he curses David and says: 
"Come, I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air !" 
He looked for victory through the sword and spear. 
David trusted alone in God, saying, u This day will the 

Lord deliver thee into my hands, 
And this assembly shall know that it was not by the 

sword nor spear. ' ' 
Now Goliath's pride was touched to the quick, 
And he hastened to crush David; but the contest ended 

very queer, 
For a stone thrown from the hand of David entered into 

the giant's forehead, 
Just as he threw up his haughty head and disdainfully 

laughed. 
Then it was told Saul how, without sword or spear, but 

with a stone's waft, 
And how with Goliath's own sword he had then cut off 

his head, 
And that now the Philistines' leader being dead they 

had all fled. 
Then Saul said unto David "Whose son art thou?" 
For perhaps he remembered his promise or vow, 
To any one who this giant should kill, 
Should marry his daughter if he will. 
And David answered, I am the son of Jesse; 
Then Saul said, my house thy home shall be. 
It was now that David learned to love Saul's son, 
And he won the heart of this royal prince Jonathan. 
Perhaps on account of David's great act he admired and 

loved him, too, 
Even when he had heard that David was to be king 

and knew it to be true; 
And several times when Saul would have killed David, 



BIBLK RHYMES. 25 

Then Jonathan apprised David of the designs, and his 
life was saved; 

And when Saul and his gallant son fell in battle, 

David's lamentations over Jonathan is, Oh Jonathan, 
my brother, very pleasant hast thou been unto me; 

Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of wo- 
man. 

And years afterwards he showed his kindness to Jona- 
than's son for Jonathan's sake, 

And said to him, thou shalt eat bread at my table con- 
tinually, seeing thou art lame in both feet. 

But David was far from being without sin, 

As in Nathan's rebuke it is plainly seen, 

And in the fifty-first Psalm is David's own acknowledg- 
ment: 

' 4 Have mercy upon me, Oh God. ' ' His great sin he 
feels and understands. 

In the whole of this beautiful chapter he confesses his 
sin, and asks forgiveness at God's hand. 

Now there was all kinds of trouble in the house of 
David, 

For David, like Eli and Samuel, had wicked sons, too, 

And they murdered and sinned in many ways, it is true. 

Absalom, who is spoken of as a beautiful man, conspires 
to get the throne 

From David his father, who to the mountain fled. 

But God is with him, and David had a father's love 

Even for his wicked boy, and he says to his men, deal 
gently with him for my sake. 

Now when the battle was fierce, Absalom rode upon a 
mule, and the mule went under 

The thick boughs of a great oak. 

Then was he slain by ten young men; 

And tidings were taken to David who was waiting .and 
watching to know if Absalom was safe. 

And when he was told, he wept, and said, 

u O! my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, 

Would to God I had died for thee ; O ! Absalom, my son. ' ' 

And the victory was turned into mourning that day; 

Afflicted for the loss of a wicked son you might say. 

And Joab, a soldier, came and reproved David for his 
immoderate grief. 

Then the king arose and administered justice to the 
people ahd sat in the gate. 



26 BIBLE RHYMES. 

And as David grew old, he said: Solomon, my son, shall 

be king in my stead, 
For I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah ; 

then to Solomon he said: 
"I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, 

and show thyself a man, 
And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in 

his ways and keep his commandments." 
And King David died, and was buried in the city of 

David, 
After reigning over Israel forty years. 



TT7HEN sat Solomon upon the throne of his father, 
1 For it was his from the Lord, it appears. 

Now the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream, 

And said, l ' Ask what I shall give thee. ' ' 
Then answered Solomon, u Thou hast made me king, 
O Lord, 
And I am but a little child," you see. 
U I know not how to go out or come in before thy chosen 
people, 
For who is able to judge them aright? 
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart, 
That I may discern between good and evil in thy 
sight." 
This request so pleased God that he gave him wisdom 
in abounding measure, 
Such as none before him had ever possessed; 
And now, since he had made so excellent a choice, 
He would give him riches and honor without even 

Solomon's request. 
Ere long Solomon has a chance to display his wisdom 
by settling a quarrel between two women, 
Who both claimed a living child, and both disowned one 
that had died. 
Solomon knew that the real mother would be most 
human, 
When he said, bring me a sword and divide the living 
child, 
And give half to the one and half to the other. 
The one said, let it be divided, but the other said, Oh, 
my Lord, give her the living child. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 27 

Then Solomon said, she is the rightful mother. 

Now, God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding ex- 
ceeding much, 
Even as the sand that is on the seashore. 

And he spake three thousand proverbs, 
And his songs were a thousand and more. 

Then we read of the preparations for the great temple, 

Which David, when he ascended the throne of Israel 
had resolved to erect. 

God approved of his designs, but because he was a man 
of war, for him to build the house he did reject; 

But at the same time he gave him a promise 

That his son Solomon, who was directed in wisdom's 
ways, should fulfill his intentions. 

And David acquiesced in the Divine will; 

And to enable his son to make such a glorious display, 

He himself commenced preparations by giving a thou- 
sand thousand talents of silver, 

And an hundred thousand talents of gold, 

And of brass and iron without weight, for there was such 
an abundance it was not told. 

And David moreover gave to Solomon a pattern for the 
house of the Lord, 
And said, Arise and be doing, 

And the Lord be with thee; be strong and of good cour- 
age; fear not, • 
Nor be dismayed whilst the Lord's service you are 

pursuing. 
Now Hiram, king of Tyre, a friend of Solomon's, 
complied with his request. 

In building this great temple they employed one hundred 
and eighty-three thousand men, 
All working in harmony and doing their best, 

And everything was made ready ere it came to the place; 

Neither hammer nor axe was heard whilst they were 
building at Mt. Moriah. 

Now, after seven and a half years, this beautiful house 
was finished and dedicated to God; 

And now let us read the beautiful prayer of Solomon's, 
as he stood before the altar of the Lord. 

The Queen of Sheba heard but could not believe of Solo- 
mon's grandeur, beauty and wealth; 

But when she came, she said, the half had not been told. 

Nor would she believe until she had seen for herself. 



28 BIBLE RHYMES. 

But now, in the midst of all his glory and wealth, he 

has contention and strife. 
He forsook the God of his mercies by marrying an idol- 
atrous wife. 
After solemnly declaring that his people should not give 

their daughters to the heathens. 
He turns his heart away from God by taking wives from 

the surrounding nations. 
One of those wives was the daughter of Pharaoh, the 

Egyptian king. 
This itself was enough to cause him to neglect his own 

religion and sin. 
Now, when we think of Solomon, how good he was in 

his youth, 
And that, for all we know he was lost, it is a fearful and 

solemn truth, 
After even having God to answer his prayer and give 

him his praise 
For his choosing knowledge and wanting to walk in 

wisdom's ways. 
No wonder he writes this melancholy sentence, u Vanity 

of vanities, all is vanity." 
Out of Christ, he had many sorrowful days. 
Solomon did not live the three score years and ten, the 

allotted time of man. 
Perhapuhe lived contrary to the laws of nature, and so 

shortened his days, as any one can. 



AFTER Solomon's death, we read of his only son Re- 
hoboam's wicked reign. 
The tribes were now divided, and all the tribes but two 

did Jeroboam claim. 
This Jeroboam from Egypt came, and after Rehoboam's 

reign and death, 
There was Abijah's wicked reign, and Asa's good one, 

so the Bible saith. 
His heart was pure, and he worshipped the true God 

only. 
Then Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his stead, 
And of his reign, it was good, it is said. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 29 

But of all the good and bad kings which reigned, 

We can not make mention of all, it is plain; 

So if we speak of the noted ones, let this explain, 

Some being kings of Jndah and some of Israel. 

We next mention Omri, and his leading the people to 

idolatry was a shame. 
Now after Omri reigned, Ahab over Israel reigned, and 

he took to wife Jezebel. 
She, the daughter of an idolatrous king, was terribly 

cruel. 
Now God sent Elijah to this wicked king to say that 

there should be no dew nor rain. 
Then the Lord said to Elijah, hide thyself by the brook, 

for there thou shalt be sustained. 
There the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the 

morn and eve; 
And from the brook his water to drink he received. 
Now there was no rain and the brook dried up— the 

drought was coming, it was plain. 
But God said, get thee to Zarephath, for a widow there 

shall thee sustain. 
And behold when he came to the gate of the city, 

The widow was there gathering sticks, 
And he called to her and said, 
Give me a drink and a morsel of bread. 

But now she is in a terrible fix; 
And she answered and said, I have but a handful of meal 

and a cruse of oil, 
Which I was going to cook, then eat and die. 
But Elijah said unto her, make me thereof a little cake 

first, and bring it unto me, 
And after make for thy son and thee. 
Thy barrel of meal shall not waste nor thy oil fail, for 

.thus the Lord saith. 
This was certainly a remarkable trial of this woman's 

faith. 
But she obeyed, and she and her house did eat many 

days, 
And the meal did not waste nor the oil fail, for they did 

according to the Lord's ways. 
And it came to pass, after these things, that this woman's 

son took sick and died, 
And she came and told Elijah, and he said, 



30 BIBLE RHYMES. 

"Give me thy son," and he took him and laid him upon 

his own bed. 
And he cried unto the Lord, and this is what he said: 
u O Lord, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him 

again. ' ' 
And the Lord heard, the child revived, 
And the mother was led to seek the truth, and all this 

good was obtained. 



AT this time there lived one Naboth, who owned a 
lovely vineyard nigh to Ahab's home, 

And Ahab coveted it and wished to add it to his own. 

He offers to give him a better vineyard, or the worth of 
it in money. 

But Naboth rejected the proposal, saying it was his 
father's, and he would not agree. 

Now, the refusal of Naboth caused Ahab to be down- 
hearted, and he would eat no bread, 

And Jezebel, his wife, said, u Dost thou not govern the 
kingdom?" 

u Let thine heart be merry, I will give thee the vine- 
yard. ' ' 

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, proclaiming a fast 
and setting Naboth on high, 

And told two wicked men, who cared not from the truth 
to depart, 

To say that Naboth had blasphemed God and the king. 

Then they took him and stoned him, and thus he lost 
his life, 

All through the sayings and doings of Ahab's wicked 
wife. 

She then said to Ahab, arise, take possession of the vine- 
yard, for Naboth is dead. 

And he arose up to go down, and the word of the Lord 
came to Elijah and said, 

Tell Ahab, where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall 
dogs lick even thine. 

(It is supposed by some, that at the same place where 
Naboth was stoned, Ahab's blood was licked up by 
dogs and swine. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 3 1 

And years afterwards, when Jehu was executing judg- 
ment upon the house of Ahab, he makes Jezebel 

dog's meat, 
By causing her to be thrown from a window, and then 

trodden on by horses' feet.) 
Now, in the third year, the Lord said unto Elijah, u Go 

show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain. " 
For there was a sore famine in Samaria; on account of 

the great drouth there was suffering, it is plain. 
And Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, meets 

Elijah, it appears. 
Now, Obadiah feared the Lord greatly — was zealous and 

sincere. 
(We omitted Obadiah' s sayings, and as he was a good 

man,- 
Let us turn back a little, please, to imderstand.) 
Now, through Obadiah, Elijah and Ahab meet, 
And Elijah proposes that the prophets of Baal and him- 
self should offer a sacrifice. 
They should offer theirs to their gods, and he would to 

Jehovah, 
And the god who would send down fire to consume the 

sacrifice, he should rule over all. 
The proposal was accepted, and in vain did the priests 

of Baal call the whole day long, 
Then Elijah offers his sacrifice and prays to God, and 

fire comes down, and the people's faith in Jehovah 

is strong. 
Then the people slew all the prophets of Baal that day; 
For now they halt no more between two opinions, for 

hear what they say : 
"The Lord he is the God, the Lord he is the God," they 

all proclaim. 
Then Elijah said unto Ahab, "Get thee up, eat and 

drink, for there will now be an abundance of rain. ' ' 
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and 

how he had had the prophets slain. 
She is terribly enraged, and sends a message to Elijah 

that by to-morrow he too should die. 
When he hears this he flees to Beer-sheba, and then a 

day's journey into the wilderness. 
Discouraged, he requested for himself that he might die 

as he lay under the juniper tree; 



32 BIBL£ RHYMES. 

But an angel touched him and said, u Arise and eat," 
And he looked, and behold! there was a cake and a cruse 

of oil at his feet. 
And the angel touched him the second time and said, 

1 ' Arise and eat, ' ' 
For thy journey from Beer-sheba to Mt. Horeb for thee 

is too great, 
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went forty days 

and nights in the strength of that meat. 
He fasted just the same length of time as Moses, and as 

Christ in the wilderness did. 
" And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there," 
And the Lord said, u Elijah, what doest thou here?" 
And he said, " They have slain the prophets, and I only 

am left. 
And they seek to take my life away." 
And the Lord said, l 'Go forth and stand upon the mount. ' ' 
Perhaps in the same place where Moses had stood. 
And whilst he was there, the Lord passed by, and there 

was a great strong wind, but in it no good, 
And after the wind an earthquake, and then a fire; 
But the Lord was not in either; 

But after the fire, a still small voice; 
And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his 

mantle, 
And stood in the entrance of the cave, perhaps to re- 
joice. 
And the Lord said, return and anoint Jehu, for he shall 

be king over Israel soon, 
And Elisha anoint to be prophet in thy room. 
So he departed, and found Elisha ploughing, with twelve 

yoke of oxen before him; 
And Elijah passed by and cast his mantle upon him. 
It appears that Elisha is wealthy, but he is willing to 

leave his oxen and all. 
He only asked to return home to kiss and bid farewell 

to his parents before obeying the Divine call. 
Now, Benhadad, king of Syria, 
With thirty-two other kings, besieged Samaria; 
Then the king of Israel called his army, and they ar- 
rayed themselves,. 
And Israel was victorious; — the Syrians fled. 
Then the Syrians said that the Lord was God of the hills, 

but not of the valley. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 33 

And there came a man of God to the king of Israel and 

said, rally, 
And God will deliver all this great multitude into thy 

hand, 
And ye shall know that God is the Lord of all the land. 
And the children of Israel slew of the Syrians one hun- 
dred thousand footmen in one day, 
But the rest fled to the city of Aphek, and there, a wall 

falling twenty-seven thousand of the remainder did 

slay. 
Now it came to pass, when Elijah was about to be taken 

up into heaven, 
That he asked Elisha what he should do for him before 

he should leave him; 
And Elisha said, u Let a double portion of thy spirit fall 

upon me." 
And Elijah replied, " Thou hast asked a hard thing: 

nevertheless, if thou seest me when I am taken then 

shall it be." 
And behold there appeared a chariot, and horses of fire, 

and parted them; 
And Elisha saw it, and cried, u My father, my father;" 

and he saw him no more, 
For he went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 



NOW, as Elisha was going up unto Bethel, there came 
forth little children mocking him ; 
And this is what they said, " Go up, thou bald head; 
go up, thou bald head." 
And he turned, and looking on them, in the name of 
the Lord he cursed them; 
And there came forth two she bears out of the woods 
and tare forty-two of them until they were dead. 
Now a widow of one of the prophets is oppressed by a 

merciless creditor; 
And she goes to the man of God, Elisha, and tells him 

that all she has is a pot of oil in the door. 
And he told her to go borrow vessels, and to fill, and she 

filled until there was not a vessel more. 
Then he said, sell the oil, pay thy debt, and liye thou 
and thy children as of yore. 



34 BIBLE RHYMES. 

The next miracle EHsha did, is when a father takes his 
little son out to the reapers, 
And he is taken sick and cries, oh, my head, my head. 

And his father said to a lad, carry him to his mother; 
And she holds him until noon, but now he is dead. 

This mother, too, hastens to the man of God, showing 
by this that she has faith in him. 

But Elisha must work hard with the child, 

For it is not faith alone, but the power of God that re- 
stored the child to life again. 

Next we read of Naaman, who, being captain of the host 
of the king of Syria, was a great man. 

But he was a leper, afflicted with a disease the most loath- 
some and humiliating in all the land. 

Now, Naaman had sent out troops into the land of Israel 
To steal and take cattle, and inhabitants for slaves, 

And these had stolen a little maid, 

And through her instrumentality, God this wicked 
Naaman saves. 

This pious little maid had told Naaman' s wife 

If only her prophet were there, he might be able to save 
her master's life. 

And when they told the king what she had said, he sent 
a letter and great presents to the king of Israel; 

But the king was frightened, and thought that the king 
of Syria wanted to seek a quarrel. 

Elisha hearing this, orders Naaman to be brought to him 
that he may know his fate. 

So Naaman comes to his door with horses and chariots 
in great state ; 

But Elisha only sends a message, saying, ' 4 Go wash in 
Jordan seven times and be clean." 

But Naaman thought such an inexpensive and simple 
mode of cure contemptible and mean, 

And thought his own rivers at home as good as the wa- 
ters of Jordan, and so went away in a rage. 

Then his servants called him father, and said, "Had he 
bid thee do some great thing' ' for the cleansing stage, 

Would'st thou not have done it?" then went he down 
and dipped seven times; 

Then was his flesh like a little child's; 

The scurf being removed, and he, in health, with joy is 
almost wild. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 35 

Now does he acknowledge that there is none other such 

a God in all the earth, 
And he experienced what the Lord taught Nicodemus 

about the new birth. 
Now Elisha had a servant, Gehazi, who coveted the 

great presents which Naaman brought, and which 

Elisha refused, 
And he ran after Naaman and said, ' 'My master hath sent 

me; give me I pray thee the silver and two changes 

of garments," if thou choose. 
And when he received it he carried it to a dark place to 

conceal. 
Then he came and stood before Elisha, his master, and 

Elisha to him made this appeal: 
u Whence comest thou," and he answered, u Thy ser- 
vant went no whither." 
And Elisha- said, " Went not mine heart with thee? 
Therefore Naaman' s leprosy shall cleave unto thee." 
And now we read of good reigns and of bad reigns, and 

then we read that Elisha died. 
Elijah and Elisha were two great men, and with them 

did God's spirit ever abide. 
And now again and again we read of wicked and cruel 

reigns until we come to Hezekiah, 
For he trusted in the Lord God of Israel, and kept Moses' 

commandments as he them understood. 
He broke in pieces the brazen serpents, which they were 

now worshiping, 
And when the king of Assyria sends Rab-shakeh unto 

Hezekiah, he comes blaspheming; 
And his impudent speech is without parallel, for the re- 
port had now gone abroad 
That the Jews placed the utmost confidence in their 

God. 
Now Hezekiah in his distress, sends for Isaiah the pro- 
phet, and he prays, 
And the Lord sent a blast among them, which caused a 

terrible sight, 
The blast, or suffocating wind, slew one hundred and 

eighty-five thousand in one night. 
And afterwards, Hezekiah was sick unto death, 
And Isaiah the prophet came to him and said, 
u Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not 

live;" 



36 BIBLE RHYMES. 

And he wept sore, and beseeched God to spare him, and 

God granted him fifteen more years, 
The nation was in danger from the Assyrian army, and 

Hezekiah wanted to see them defeated, it appears. 
He was the first and only man who ever was informed of 

the term of his life. 
Now the king of Babylon and Hezekiah mnst have been 

on friendly terms, bnt which ended in strife, 
By the king of Babylon sending his son with a letter 

and presents to congratulate Hezekiah, 
For he had heard of his sickness and miraculous cure; 
And Hezekiah was so pleased that he showed them all 

the precious treasures in his house — 
The gold, silver, spices and ointment. 
This, on his part, was folly, 

For behold the day came by appointment 
When the Babylonians took this land from them; for 

when they saw its wealth they coveted it. 
But it was not in Hezekiah' s day; and after fifteen years 

he slept with his fathers. 
And then Manasseh, his son, reigned in his stead; but 

he was a wicked one ; 
And then Amon, who also was wicked. But now we 

come 
To the young monarch Josiah, a model boy, 
Who, at eight years of age, began to seek after the God 

of David. This was his joy, 
And to do what was right in the sight of God was his 

constant employ. 
His father and grandfather were both wicked men. 
Perhaps he had had the prayers of a pious mother. 
The first thing he did was to repair the house of the 

Lord, 
And to gather together all the idols that were scattered 

abroad. 
These images, for fear they should be set up again, were 

to powder ground, 
And the dust was strewed on the graves, for those who 

would touch what was near the dead were not to be 

found. 
Now whilst they were repairing the house of the Lord, 

they found Moses' book of the law, 
Which perhaps had been buried under the cornerstone; 



BIBLE RHYMES. 37 

This was saved, and this alone, 

For Manasseh and Amon had tried to have them all de- 
stroyed. 

In this book were written terrible things against the cor- 
rupters of God's word. 

Then Josiah sent Hilkiah the priest unto Huldah the 
prophetess, 

And she answered and said unto them, the Lord said 
thus: 

"My wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall 
not be quenched." 

But Josiah, whose heart is tender before God, 

Should not see this desolation, but be gathered unto his 
grave in peace. 

Now not long after Josiah's death, as God had decreed, 

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against Je- 
rusalem, and the city was besieged. 

Ere long the inhabitants were scattered in every direc- 
tion, 

And those who were not captured had to flee; 

The walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and thus was 
Judah carried away out of her own land, 

Also everything of value upon which they could lay 
their hand. 

This was four hundred and sixty-eight years after David 
over Jerusalem began to reign, 

And five hundred and ninety years before Christ came. 

Now among the young Jewish princes were four who 
excelled the rest, 

At least they feared the Lord in this strange land the 
best. 

Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Aza- 
riah. 

And now their love to God is to be tested. 

Nebuchadnezzar erected an image of gold for his sub- 
jects tq worship, that they might be blessed, 

And when these refused to bow to this image, the king 
is told; 

He then is furious, and in great wrath, 

Orders a furnace to be heated seven times hotter than 
usual, 

And into this they were bound and cast; 

But God's promise to Isaiah is here fulfilled,— 



38 BIBLE RHYMKS. 

" When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be 
burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee," 

For an angel of God appeared in the furnace, 

And those young men were safe, and walked at liberty. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, 

Blessed be their God! Let no one speak 

Or say anything amiss against their God, for him will 
we seek. 

We have reason to believe he died in the faith, 

For he praised and honored the King of Heaven, the 
Bible saith. 

Now we read of his grandson Belshazzar, who now was 

kin £> 
But he is profaning, and doing wicked things. 

At a feast where a thousand of his lords were drinking 
wine, 

A hand on the wall appeared writing a line. 

None being able to interpret it, by the queen's request 
Daniel is called. 

He explains the meaning and tells them of their fearful 
fall; 

And that very night the prediction was fulfilled and the 
king slain, 

And Medes and Persians took possession. 

And one Darius is now made king of Babylon. 

Darius, when he heard of Daniel's great wisdom, 

Made him ruler over the whole realm. 

Then the rulers and princes sought to find fault with 
Daniel; 

And knowing that he was good and faithful, persuaded 
the king to establish this decree, 

That for thirty days no one should pray save unto the 
king; and now they will see 

If Daniel will obey, or if he will dare 

Any longer take consolation in prayer. 

Now, Daniel knew that the writing was signed; never- 
theless, on bended knee, 

Three times a day, at his window praying, him could 
they see. 

And Daniel knew, too, that if he prayed, his punish- 
ment would be the lions' den; 

But God sent an angel to this good man, 

And shut the lions' mouths, and they were as gentle as 
lambs. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 39 

Then the king arose early and came out in haste, 

And when Daniel came out unhurt, he no time did waste, 

But had those men brought and thrown into the lions' 

den. 
Then were the lions' mouths opened, and the men were 

slain. 



JJ7HE Jewish captivity lasted seventy years, when Cy- 
Jr rus, king of Persia, 
Fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah, being told perhaps by 

Daniel that he was chosen before he was born for 

this task. 
With matchless zeal he performs his work at last. 
He made a proclamation, saying that God had charged 

him to 'build him a house at Jerusalem again. 
Then he gives all that Nebuchadnezzar had taken — brass, 

silver and gold, 
With goods, beasts, and precious things besides, we are 

told. 
The number of those who returned from Babylon were 

forty- two thousand, three hundred and three-score, 
And the servants were seven thousand or more. 
And while building the temple, the people sang and 

praised the Lord. 

Now we read of another eminent man, Nehemiah, who 

helped to build Jerusalem's broken walls; 
And so faithful were Nehemiah and his men at this work 
That they did not take off their clothes, only to bathe, 

for a month at a time. 
Nehemiah said, 4 ( Think upon me, my God, for good, 

for all is thine. ' ' 
He wishes for no reward from man; 
He only asks for mercy at God's hand. 
So, with several thousand workmen, in fifty-two days 
The walls were repaired, and for their speedy work they 

gave God the praise. 
And now Ezra stood upon the first pulpit of wood, 
In sight of all the people, and taught them to be good; 
And they bowed their faces to the ground and worshiped. 
1 ' And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God, and all the 

people answered, Amen, Amen." 



40 BIBLE RHYMES. 

NOW, four hundred and sixty-two years before Christ 
the history of Esther began, 
When Ahasuerus, king of Persia, conquered Babylon. 
And on this account, he appoints a solemn rejoicing and 

praise, 
Which lasted an hundred and eighty days; 
On the conclusion of which, he gave a great feast for 

the princes and people for seven days. 
Now Queen Vashti made a like feast in her apartments, 

the Bible says, 
And the king's heart being merry with wine, sends for 

the queen to show off her beauty; 
But Vashti refuses to go, for she does not consider that 

to be her duty, 
Though she should lose her royal crown and perhaps 

her head. 
When she refused to comply the king was angry, and 

called his counsellors for advice, and they said, 
For fear her example might be bad, the king should give 

her royal place to another. 
This advice pleased the king, and Vashti was removed 

from him forever. 
After this, throughout the whole empire orders were 

given 
That every province should gather together all the fair 

virgins, 
So the king might choose one to be queen in Vashti' s 

place. 
Now there lived in Shushan a Jew, Mordecai, a porter 

of the royal palace. 
Mordecai was one of those who had been carried captive 

to Babylon, 
And he having no children of his own, 
Did bring up Esther, his Uncle Hadassah's daughter, 
And she loved him as a father, for he had adopted her. 
Now, this young woman was chosen queen, for she was 

beautiful, and the fairest of the fair. 
The king was delighted, and placed the royal crown up- 
on her lovely head of hair. 
Now, there was one Haman, the chief favorite of the 

king, 
And all the king's servants were to bow to him; 
But Mordecai refused ; perhaps he thought to bow to him 



BIBLE RHYMES. 41 

Was idolatrous adoration, and therefore a sin. 

But this made Haman very angry, and so he and the 

king's scribes write a decree, 
In which they declare that all the Jews are injurious to 

the nation, 
And ask that both old and young should be slain. 
They take it to the king on a certain day, and he gives 

permission to Haman to do as he wishes. 
When Mordecai heard this, his lamentations were great. 
He put on sackcloth and sat mournful at the king's gate. 
The king had listened to Haman when he said the Jews' 

laws were diverse, 
And that they did things that no other people did on the 

face of the earth. 
And when Esther heard of Mordecai' s grief, she sends 

to know what the matter could be, 
Whereon he acquaints her by sending her a copy of the 

decree ; 
And tells her to go in unto the king and make suppli- 
cation for the Jews. 
But Esther was at first afraid, knowing for this act he 

could kill her if he choose. 
Then Mordecai tells her if she any love for her nation or 

father's house still did cherish, 
She must now plead for her people or they all would 

perish. 
Then she resolved to go, but first Mordecai and all the 

Jews will fast three days, 
For if she gains the king's favor she will give to God 

the praise. 
Now Esther puts on her royal apparel and goes to see 

if the king will accept her, 
And to let her know she was welcome, he held out his 

golden sceptre. 
And when the king asked her what she wanted him to 

do, 
Esther requests him to come to a banquet, and bring 

Haman too. 
And while they are at the banquet, the king desires her 

to make known her request; 
But she invited them to come again the next day; and 

to please the king she tries her best. 
Now, Haman was greatly puffed up, but on his return 

from the palace, 



42 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Mordecai again refused to bow; and now Hainan's friends 

advise him to erect a gallows, 
And to have Mordecai hanged thereon; but the same day 

Mordecai finds favor in the king's sight, 
By the king finding an account of a conspiracy to take 

his life 
That had been discovered by Mordecai, but until then 

the king never knew. 
And when he inquires who saved him, it is told him 

that it was Mordecai the Jew. 
Then he sends for Hainan and asks, unto the man in 

whom the king deiighteth what shall I do ? 
Haman thinking it was himself, said, put on the royal 

apparel and the crown too, 
And upon the king's horse let him ride through the 

streets, 
And proclaim that this man the king wants to honor to 

every one they meet. 
But hark now! the king says, Mordecai is the man. 
Haman in sorrow returned to his house; this disappoint- 
ment, how can he stand. 
While he is lamenting to his friends, the queen sends 

him another banquet invitation. 
When the king and Haman sit down, Esther gives her 

petition. 
She prays the king that her life and her people's lives 

he would spare, 
For a design was laid for their destruction, and she did 

not know how they would fare. 
When the king asked in anger who it was that dared do 

this thing, 
Esther, pointing to Haman, said he was the author of 

this sin, 
And the king arose, called in servants who covered Ha- 
inan's face, 
And he was hanged on the gallows in Mordecai' s place. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 43 

AFTER Esther, we come to the book of Job, supposed 
to have been written by Solomon, 
But by some thought to be more like Moses' songs. 
Job was from the land of Uz, and was a perfect man and 

upright. 
He feared God and did all that was good in His sight. 
And Job was very wealthy, and was considered the 

greatest man in the east. 
He had seven sons and three daughters, and an over 

plenty of every kind of beast. 
And Satan, then as now, went about like a roaring lion 

seeking whom he might devour; 
And the Lord said, consider my servant Job, over him 

thou canst have no power; 
And Satan answered, u Doth Job serve God for nought?" 
Every thing that a man could desire he has got. 
Take his wealth from him, and he will curse thee to thy 

face. 
And the Lord said, all that he hath is in thy power, only 

to his person show grace. 
So one after another came and told Job of the great de- 
struction^ yet he did not sin. 
He said, " The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken 

away; blessed be the name of the Lord." 
Satan was disappointed; he found a man who, in afflic- 
tion, loved, not abhorred. 
Now, perhaps a year after this, Satan comes again to re- 
new the strife, 
And saith unto the Lord, u All that a man hath will he 

give for his life;" 
" But touch his bones and his flesh, and he will curse 

thee." 
And the Lord said, " Behold, he is in thine hand, only 

save his life; but now see, 
Satan smote him with sore boils from the sole of his foot 

to the crown of his head; 
And he scraped himself, having an intolerable itching, 

and sat on an ash pile for a bed. 
Now his wife gets out of patience, and tells him to curse 

God and die. 
u Thou speakest as one of the foolish women," was his 

reply — 
Like those who have no knowledge of God, of religion, 

or of a future state. 



44 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Now, Satan was sifting Job like wheat, but his faith 

helped him to patiently wait. 
Job has three friends, who come to comfort him, the Bi- 
ble says, 
And they sat down upon the ground with him seven 

days; 
And they saw his grief was great, but not a word was 

spoken whilst sitting on the earth. 
Job himself first broke the silence by lamenting the day 

of his birth. 
He longeth for death, but it cometh not; 
He seeketh even more for death 

Than hid treasures are by some sought. 
Now, those who came as comforters, upbraided him and 

said he was not patient enough; 
But God to him was all in all; he cared not for their 

wicked taunts. 
Those friends thought Job was suffering under a strange 

display of divine providence, 
And that God was punishing him for some sin, and in 

him had no confidence. 
Then the Lord said, ' 'Gird up now thy loins like a man, 

for I will demand of thee, 
And answer thou me. 
Job having heard the Almighty's speech, acknowledges 

that his power is unlimited, 
And that his wisdom is infinite. 
But at last Job's sorrows came to a happy end; 
But not until he had made intercession for his three 

friends. 
So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his 

beginning. 
It was well for Job that he could suffer so much without 

sinning. 
And the Lord now gave him thousands of sheep, camels 

and oxen, 
Besides seven sons and three daughters, the loveliest 

and fairest of the land. 
After this, Job lived an hundred and forty years, 
Then died, being old and full of days. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 45 

JT7HE prophet Jonah now by the word of the Lord was 
1 told to arise, 
And go to Nineveh, for the wickedness of that city unto 

him cries; 
But Jonah is afraid and tries to flee from the presence of 

the Lord, — 
Went down to Joppa, found there a ship going to Tarsh- 

ish, and went aboard. 
But they were overtaken by a storm, which appeared to 

have been sent by God; 
But the mariners were afraid, and each of them cried 

unto his God. 
But Jonah was lying down, and they said unto him, u O 

sleeper, arise, 
Call upon thy God" for we fear we shall all perish. 
Then they cast lots that they might know for whose 

cause this evil was upon them; 
And Jonah was faithful, and said that he feared the 

Lord, although he had refused to obey him. 
And the lot fell upon Jonah, ancj they said, u What shall 

we do unto thee?" 
And he said, u Take me up and cast me into the sea;'' 
And they did, and the sea became calm again. 
Then the men feared the Lord and offered a sacrifice. 
And there appeared a great fish, which swallowed Jonah. 
And in its belly Jonah lived three days and nights; 
And Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God, whilst he was 

in the whale; 
Then God caused the fish to sicken and it vomited him 

upon the dry land. 



MOW we will write a verse from the last book of the 
Old Testament: 
u But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of right- 
eousness arise ; n Christ is meant. 
Now, he that is thirsty, need thirst no more, 
For the waters of life are free evermore. 
He shall supply the poor and needy, — 
Ho! every one come without money; 
Justice and mercy has offered this 
Upon easy terms, receive, accept, embrace. 



46 BIBLE RHYMES. 

Oh! for you and me what wonderful grace: 

A tried stone, a foundation sure, 

A burden-bearer divinely pure; 

One that has compassion when we're out of the way, 

And a heart to bring us back when we go astray, 

One that can pardon without upbraiding. 

Come, oh then! all ye heavy ladened; 

But come with faith to believe his word. 

It will give comfort amidst our fears. 

Faith like Abraham's, which taught him to say, 

Yea, I will obey, though my son I must slay. 

Then God was brief, and came with relief, 

And saved him from this terrible grief. 

By faith Gideon, with three hundred men, 

Could do more than twelve tribes then. 

And then there is David, Moses and Daniel; 

Let us like them embrace the true Emanuel, 

Come to him in prayer; he can turn darkness into glory, 

And all our sorrow into song. 

Go to him in all our grief and trouble; 

What we ask, he will more than double. 

When we think of the duties left undone, 

It is time to heed his voice and to him come; 

For with all this load of guilt and sin, 

We have no peace without, within; 

Tossing around like the restless waves, 

Shut up under the law, and ready to perish, 

How much we have to be thankful for, 

How we ought to praise God and him adore. 

Oh! blessed condition, we're ready to shout. 

Jesus Christ says, "I will in no wise cast out." 

Immediately upon Adam's sin, 

The door of communion with God was shut in. 

It was Jesus, the Mediator, that opened the door again, 

And through him we have boldness and access, it is plain. 

We can now come to God by a new and living way, 

Consecrated for us through the veil — his flesh, that is to 

say. 
Jesus Christ is fairer than the children of men; 
The chiefest among ten thousand, then. 
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 
From him do bud forth the fruits that for all seasons and 

conditions are good, — 



BIBLE RHYMES. 47 

This Redeemer, who did not think it too much to sweat 

blood and die for men ; 
And shall we think it too much to watch, study, preach 

and pray, then ? 
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, 
But the Son of Man hath no place for his head to rest. 
He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; 
Yet for our sake, he submitted voluntarily, and wants 

no relief, 
1 ■ For God so loved the world that he gave his only be- 
gotten Son. " 
Christ answers, u Lo! I come, I delight to do thy will," 

for we are one. 
God's giving Christ implies a parting, delivering him 

into the hands of justice; oh, what a loss! 
Let us consider to what he gave him, — even to death, 

and that of the cross. 
Now we are redeemed with the precious blood of this 

Lamb, 
And cleansed from all sin, by God's grace we shall stand 
Free from the curse of the law, he being made a curse 

for us, 
That we may receive the adoption of sons, who are but 

worms of the dust. 
Now, when Jesus knew he was only to be with his 

friends for a short time, 
And whilst he was talking and telling them this, 

They had the Lord's Supper, when he blessed the 

bread and the wine; 
And he said, u Take eat, this is my body which was 

broken for you. 
This do in remembrance of me. ' ' This was intended for 

the whole world, too. 
Now, when in the garden, the supper being finished, 
He was betrayed by the Judas kiss; 

And Pilate giving consent that it should be as they re- 
quired, 
Jesus being delivered by the determinate counsel, soon 

expired. 



48 BIBLE RHYMES. 

JJ7HE Old and New Testaments, as to the spiritualness 
1 of the worship, are the same, 
Only the old was clonded with shadows, whilst the new 

with Jesus our Saviour is plain; 
And to see how near some passages are alike, let us com- 
pare Exodus 25 and 40, what Moses heard on the 

Mount, 
With Hebrews 8 and 5. The language there is the same, 

about. 
The Lord has made the new covenant with the house of 

Judah. 
The first covenant is now old and ready to vanish away. 
In the fullness of time, a sign of the good tidings to 

the shepherds was given ; 
The angels sang, and at Bethlehem the babe in a manger 

was lain. 
Now Herod, the king, feared a rival to the throne, 
And he sent magicians that the child's age might be 

known. 
And that he may destroy Jesus, he gives orders that the 

babes of two years and under must all be slain; 
But God frustrates his purpose by telling Joseph to get 

into Egypt with Jesus and his mother, saying, 
Stay until he should hear from him again. 
After Herod's death, they back to Nazareth, their old 

residence, went, 
Where we find him, a child of twelve years, and where 

his childhood is spent. 
Now, as a pupil, he is permitted to ask questions of the 

old Jewish teachers of the law, 
And the old Doctors wonder at the child for what they 

heard and saw. 
After awhile we read of John the Baptist, the forerunner 

of Christ, appearing among men, 
And announcing the kingdom of heaven at hand then. 
John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of repent- 
ance for the remission of sins, 
And about this time, Jesus went and was baptized of 

him. 
Then we read of Jesus being tempted of the devil forty 

days and nights, 
The devil offering him great things, and showing him 

beautiful sights. 



BIBLE RHYMES. 49 

And after his temptation, we read of his many miracles, 
which we will not be able to tell in this little book; 

But will tell you where you may find them, — on the last 
page, if you will look. 

The Saviour called twelve Apostles to preach, 

The lost sheep of the house of Israel they were to teach. 

Of those disciples, John was the loved one who leaned 
on the Saviour's breast, 

And in so doing, acknowledged that there only was per- 
fect rest; 

And Jesus on him could truly rely; 

Jesus showed this by telling him to care for his aged 
mother when he was about to die. 

The history of Thomas is rather brief. 

He is noted most for his unbelief, — 

Would not believe Jesus had risen until he could see his 
hands and side. 

When permitted to see, cries, u My Lord and my God, n 
with mouth opened wide. 

Peter, who made the great confession of Christ's Messiah- 
ship, 

Upon the rock of whose faith we must all worship. 

Then there was Andrew, James, Philip, Bartholomew 
and Matthew, 

Another James, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas the trai- 
tor. 



Now, dear children, I bid you an affectionate adieu, 

And hope you may search the Scriptures to see if what 
I have written is true. 

May they be your guide; may you on the Saviour re- 
cline, 

Choose him for your friend now, and for all future time. 



50 BIBLE RHYMES. 

The following classification of our Saviour's miracles, 
may be found convenient and useful:* 

I. THOSE WHICH RELATE TO HUMAN SUSTENANCE. 

Miracle. Place. Record. 

Water turned into Wine, Cana, John ii, 5-11. 

Two draughts of Fishes, See of ( Luke v, i-ii. 

*=» Galilee ( John xxi, 1-14. 

Five thousand fed, Decapolis, Matt, xiv, 15-31 

Four thousand fed, Decapolis, Matt, xv, 32-39. 

II. THOSE WHICH RELATE TO HIS CURING DISEASES. 

The nobleman's son, Cana, John iv, 46-54. 

Peter's wife's mother, Caper'm, Mark i, 30-31. 

A centurion's servant, Caper'm, Matt, viii, 5-13. 

Diseased cripple at Bethesda, Jerusalem, John v, 1-9. 
Canaanite's daughter, Near Tyre, Matt, xv, 22-28. 

The pathetic oxpostulation of this woman has not its 
equal in the Gospel history. 

III. THOSE WHICH RELATE TO CURES PERFORMED ON DEMONIACS. 

An unclean spirit, Caper'm, Mark i, 23-26. 

The two from the tombs, Gadara, Matt, viii, 28-34. 

The dumb demoniac, Caper'm, Matt, ix, 32. 

The blind and dumb, Caper'm, Matt, xii, 22. 

The boy cured, Tabor, Matt, xvii, 18. 

IV. THOSE WHICH RELATE TO THE REMOVAL OF VARIOUS INFIRMITIES. 

Sight restored to two men, Caper'm, Matt, ix, 29. 
A withered hand cured, Judea, Matt, xii, 10. 

Man deaf and dumb cured, Decapolis, Mark vii, 31. 
Blind man cured, Bethesda, Mark viii, 22. 

Man born blind cured, Jerusalem, John ix. 

Two restored to sight, Jericho, Matt, xx, 30. 

The ear of Malchus healed, Gethsem., Luke xxii, 50. 
Man sick of the palsy cured, Caper'm, Matt, ix, 1-8. 
Leper healed, Caper'm, Mark i, 40-45. 

Ten lepers cleansed, Samaria, Luke xvii, 11-19 

V. MIRACLES UPON INANIMATE SUBJECTS. 

Tempest calmed, Sea Gal., Matt, viii, 23-27. 

Money found in fishe's mouth Do. Matt, xvii, 27. 

Walking on the sea, Do. Matt, xiv, 25. 

Blasting of the fig tree, Olivet, Matt, xxi, 18. 

VI. THOSE WHICH EXHIBIT HIS POWER TO RAISE THE DEAD. 

Widow's son, Nain, Luke vii, 11-17. 

Jairus' daughter, Caper'm, Matt, ix, 18-25. 

Lazarus, Bethany, John xi. 

*Covel's Dictionary of the Bible. 



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